1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an image processing apparatus that can not only abort an image process efficiently but also resume the once aborted image process with a reduced number of process steps.
2. Description of the Related Art
When a printer is executing a print command (job) for a large-sized image, such a job disturbs the outputting of other jobs. In order to allow the other jobs to be printed prior to a previously inputted job, the previously inputted job must be canceled. To do so, a printer disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei. 5-77525 aborts printing at the time a print abortion instruction has been given. This printer also aborts sheet feed operation in addition to the print abortion, and clears print data and reads but discards all data sent from a host.
Further, disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei. 6-149494 is an invention that selectively deletes either a job stored in a receiving buffer or an image based on such job from a memory when a print abortion instruction has been given.
According to Unexamined Japanese Patent Publications Nos. Hei. 5-77525 and Hei. 6-149494, to process a once aborted image, the image must be read in again, which has causes a waste of time for image processing. Further, time for discarding read data is also required. Still further, an image must be read in after an operator confirm that printer is vacant.
In a conventional image processing apparatus, the processing of a job whose priority is higher has often been retarded by the abortion processing of a job whose priority is lower. Further, in such a case, since once read data is discarded, such once read data cannot be used again.